perfect

a perfect circle

That bucket with the hole in the bottom is a poor bucket, but it is perfect for watering plants.

Having all of its parts in harmony with a common purpose.

The expert forger made a perfect copy of the victim's driver's license

Without fault or mistake; without flaw, of supreme quality.

(of a copy) Exact, correctly reflecting the original in all aspects.

(of an actor) Having thoroughly learned or memorized a part.

Practice makes perfect.

word-perfect, letter-perfect

(obsolete outside set of phrases, of a person) Having thoroughly learned or memorized a lesson; of a lesson: having been thoroughly learned or memorized.

Our Battaile is more full of Names then yours, / Our Men more perfect in the vse of Armes, / Our Armor all as strong, our Cause the best

c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], lines 152–154:

(obsolete) Fully trained or very knowledgeable; highly skilled

The gymnast performed a perfect somersault.

I think I'm in love—I can't stop thinking about her. She's perfect!

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

1787, Gouverneur Morris, Preamble to the United States Constitution:

a perfect day

And was the day of my delight
As pure and perfect as I say?
The very source and fount of Day
Is dash’d with wandering isles of night.

1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXIV, page 41:

They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.

1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:

Excellent and delightful in all respects.

Marke the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 37:37:

Morally or spiritually immaculate or ideal.

(grammar, of a tense or verb form) Representing a completed action.

(biology) Sexually mature and fully differentiated.

(botany, of flowers) Having both male parts (stamens) and female parts (carpels).

6 is perfect because the sum of its proper divisors, 1, 2, and 3, which is 6, is equal to the number itself.

(mathematics, of a number) Equal to the sum of its proper divisors.

mathematical analysis
mathematical analysis

(mathematical analysis, of a set) Equal to its set of limit points, i.e. set A is perfect if A=A'.

perfect fifth

(music) Describing an interval or any compound interval of a unison, octave, or fourths and fifths that are not tritones.

a perfect Manhattan

a perfect Rob Roy

(of a cocktail) Made with equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth.

I am perfect that the Pannonians and Dalmatians for their liberties are now in arms.

1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

(obsolete) Well informed; certain; sure.

My fault being nothing—as I have told you oft— / But that two villains, whose false oaths prevail'd / Before my perfect honour, swore to Cymbeline / I was confederate with the Romans: so / Follow'd my banishment

1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:

My parts, my title, and my perfect soul shall manifest me rightly.

c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

(obsolete) Innocent, guiltless; without blemish.

Pray, do not mock me. / I am a very foolish fond old man, / Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less / And, to deal plainly, / I fear I am not in my perfect mind.

c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii]:

en-adj

perfect (comparative perfecter or more perfect, superlative perfectest or most perfect)

perfecter (comparative)
more perfect (comparative)
perfectest (superlative)
most perfect (superlative)

mature

biology: sexually mature and fully differentiated

bisexual

botany: having both male and female parts

flawed

antonym(s) of “fitting its definition precisely”

faulty

antonym(s) of “without fault or mistake”

let the perfect be the enemy of the good

ល្អឥតខ្ចោះ

lʼɑɑ ʼət khcɑh

having all of its parts in harmony with a common purpose

excellent and delightful in all respects

зако́нчаны

grammar: of a tense or verb form: representing a completed action

perfektu

music: interval or any compound interval of a unison, octave, or fourths and fifths that are not tritones.

From Middle English perfit, from Old French parfit (modern: parfait), from Latin perfectus, perfect passive participle of perficere (“to finish”), from per- (“through, thorough”) + facere (“to do, to make”). Spelling modified 15c. to conform to Latin etymology. Doublet of parfait.
Displaced native Old English fulfremed.


perfect

(grammar) The perfect tense, or a form in that tense.

Awarded for scoring all Perfects in the Dominator rank!

2007, Barbara Smith, Chad Yancey, Video Game Achievements and Unlockables, page 17:

[…] a table of all the ratings that each player has achieved, giving you several scoring options based on player feedback (I simply record the number of perfects).

2007, Eli Neiburger, Gamers-- in the Library?!:

(video games) A perfect score; the achievement of finishing a stage or task with no mistakes.

(historical, Christianity) A leader of the Cathar movement.


perfect

I am going to perfect this article.

You spend too much time trying to perfect your dancing.

(transitive) To make perfect; to improve or hone.

perfect an appeal

perfect an interest

perfect a judgment

(law) To take an action, usually the filing of a document in the correct venue, that secures a legal right.

en-verb

perfect (third-person singular simple present perfects, present participle perfecting, simple past and past participle perfected)

perfects (present singular third-person)
perfecting (participle present)
perfected (participle past)
perfected (past)